Pumpkin Bread

Get ready for tons of pumpkin recipes because I have 10 cans of pumpkin puree. TEN. I got freaked out a few months ago when I decided to make some pumpkin dog treats for my loves and I couldn't find any pumpkin. ANYWHERE. It was as if canned pumpkin had completely disappeared from South Carolina. Which is basically what happened: due to a pumpkin disease/shortage/something in 2010, Libby's had less pumpkin than usual. So, rationally, when I saw pumpkin back on the shelf a few weeks ago, I grabbed as many as I could. Now I'm paying the price. P.S. Pumpkin isn't my favorite. I have no idea what I was thinking! This was a delicious loaf bread though, the taste of pumpkin wasn't overwhelming and it was extremely moist. This recipe makes three loaves: enough to freeze, give as gifts, or hoard all winter long.

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

Since it's been so dreary outside these past few days, I figured everyone could use a comfort food post. Zucchini bread is one of those things that you eat while curled up watching the rain fall (at least that's how it was in my house), and this transition into fall is the PERFECT time to make it! This recipe makes two loaves- perfect for sharing or freezing.

My garden produced copious amounts of zucchini this year, so I had plenty to work with. 

Spiced Banana Bread

I actually was making guava pastries for a local restaurant, Carlos Café, (which I, of course, forgot to photograph) when I noticed that I had about 4 or 5 bananas that were almost over-ripe. Banana bread and banana pudding are the easiest ways to use up bananas, but I didn't have any heavy whipping cream in the house to use to make the vanilla custard layer or Nilla wafers, but I did have all of the ingredients to make banana bread! I took a basic recipe and added a few more spices  (nutmeg, cinnamon) to make it more interesting. This was my first time making it, and I would definitely make it again: it would probably freeze well and be good as gifts, late night snacks, whatever. 

I've never really mashed bananas before, and they went from decently firm to soggy, watery mess in about 2 minutes. Still tasted good  though :)

This bread didn't last very long at my house; whenever I meet one of my friends to hang out, I always bring a piece of whatever dessert I happen to be making at the time and I was reaaaally busy this week. I also recently got a summer job, so they will probably be getting some of my desserts too!

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
•   1/4 teaspoon salt
•  ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
•  3/4 cup brown sugar
•  2 eggs, beaten
•  2 cups mashed overripe bananas

DIRECTIONS

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan. 
• In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg. In another bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten. Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan.
•   Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, and then turn out onto a wire rack.

Bread Pudding

I've been babysitting this week, and I've been super busy, so I haven't had a lot of time to think of new dessert ideas, so I decided to go with a recipe I've been making a lot this past year. Bread pudding is a southern comfort food staple, and it also tastes AWESOME! I usually double this recipe and make two because they get eaten fast! This recipe is also really easy to alter- replace the raisins with chocolate chips and throw in some cocoa powder, and you've got chocolate chip bread pudding!

I broke the bread into manageable pieces, drizzled with melted butter, and sprinkled the raisins liberally. If you aren't a fan of raisins, just take them out or add something else in their place :) 

 I mixed the sugar, milk, eggs, vanilla extract, and cinnamon together! Beat with a fork right before pouring over the bread to keep everything from separating

I poured the above mixture over the bread and pressed the bread down with a fork to make sure all of the bread got covered. If all of the bread doesn't get covered, it'll brown in the oven and be crunchy.

Sophia, one of my two adorable Boston Terriers, kept barking at me and looking at the oven; I guess she was hungry too :)

The finished product!

Plated :)

Ingredients

• 6 slices French bread
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups milk or 1 cup milk & 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 
  
• Directions
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
• Tear bread into small pieces into an 8 inch square baking pan (or really anything you've got; I use a pie dish). Drizzle melted butter over bread, and sprinkle with raisins.
• In a medium mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. Beat until well mixed. Pour over bread, and lightly push down with a fork until bread is covered.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly tapped.